Awards
Excellence in Fatherhood Award Winners
MFFN annually recognizes programs and individuals who are advancing fatherhood policy and practice throughout Minnesota. We are accepting nominations through December.
Awards will be announced at our annual Summit.
Find out more about the nomination process.
2019
Fatherhood Difference Maker: Dr. Glen Palm
Outstanding Organization of the Year: Hue-MAN Partnership
2018
Outstanding Individual of the Year: AJ Dombeck, Laporte School, Bemidji
Outstanding Individuals of the Year: Hubbard, Becker, and Cass County Citizen Fathers
2016
Leader of the Year: Joe Johnson
Outstanding Individual of the Year: Anne Toohey
Organization of the Year: Anoka/Washington County Head Start
Program of the Year: CHI St. Joseph’s Health-Community Health FATHER Project
2015
Outstanding Individual of the Year: Melvin Whitfield Carter Jr.
Advocate of the Year: Lowell Johnson
Organization of the Year: Positive Image
Valued Friend of MFFN: Kathy Moore
2014
Member of the Year: Samuel Simmons
Outstanding Individual of the Year: Guy Bowling
Program of the Year: Strong Fathers, Strong Families- Minnesota Valley Action Council Head Start
Visionary of the Year: Joanne Mooney
2013
Organization of the Year: Northside Achievement Zone
Program of the Year: Family Service Rochester FATHER Project
2012
Outstanding Individual of the Year: Walter Burk, Attorney, Central Minnesota Legal Services
Outstanding Member of the Year: Molly Mulcahy Crawford, Department of Human Services, Child Enforcement Division
Outstanding Member of the Year: Mike Jerpbak, Crossroads College
Agency of the Year: Wings Family Services
Program of the Year: Fathers’ Resource Program, Otter Tail County
Visionary of the Year: RaeAnn Mayer, St. Joseph’s Area Health Services
2011
Visionary: Carol Heuberger
Individual of the Year: Judge Bruce A. Peterson
Individual of the Year: Jeannie Meidinger
Member of the Year: Joe Kelly
2010
Individual of the Year: Dr. Gar E. Kellom
Program of the Year: The FATHER Project, a program of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota.
Policymaker of the Year: Mark J. Ponsolle, Director of the Human Services Division, Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
2009
Outstanding Individual Achievement: Magistrate Steven J. Running
Member of the Year: Nancy Norbie, Kandiyohi County
Member of the Year: John Harper, Adventures in Fathering
2008
Program of the Year: Parenting Time Program of Perspectives, Inc.
Advocate of the Year: Tammy Swanson; Swanson, Drobnick & Torsey
Individual of the Year: Deb Wright, HOWA Family Center
Policymaker of the Year: Wayland Campbell, Minn. Dept. of Human Services
Member of the Year: Rebecca Ahlstrand, Carlton County
2007
Outstanding Agency: Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting Outstanding Individual: Jeffrey Tibbetts, Fond du Lac Social Services
Program of the Year: Young Dads Program, Employment Action Center
Policymaker of the Year: Senator Thomas M. Neuville
Father of the Year: Dwaine Simms, Twin Cities RISE!
Individual of the Year: Melissa Froehle, Central Minnesota Legal Services/FATHER Project
2006
Program of the Year: Universal Contact Program, Brown County Public Health
Coalition of the Year: Watonwan County Early Childhood Initiative Coalition
Individual of the Year: Jan Hayne, Dads Make a Difference
Father of the Year: J. Neil Tift
Member of the Year: R. Clarence Jones
2005
Visionary: Mary L. Anderson
Individual of the Year: John Turnipseed, Urban Ventures
Agency of the Year: Minnesota Humanities Center, Family Literacy Initiatives
Advocate of the Year: Louis Hohlfeld, McKnight Foundation
Member of the Year: Glen Palm